What is a European robin?

The European robin ( Erithacus rubecula ) is a songbird known for its orange face and breast. They are found across Europe, parts of western Asia, northern Africa, western Russia, and the Middle East in forests, heathland, parks, and gardens. Most are nonmigratory, but those that breed in Scandinavia and Russia migrate west to other parts of Europe during the winter. Both male and female European robins have brownish olive upperparts, bluish gray sides, a white underside, an orange face and breast, dark eyes, and brown legs and feet. Adult birds are about 14 cm (5.5 inches) long, weigh 14–21 grams (0.49–0.74 ounces), and have a wingspan of 20–22 cm (7.9–8.7 inches). The European robin is classified as a species of least concern.

What does a European robin look like?

The European robin ( Erithacus rubecula ) is a songbird recognized for its bright orange face and breast. Male and female European robins have identical coloring, with brownish olive upperparts, bluish-gray sides, and a white underside. They also have dark eyes and brown legs and feet. These plump birds have small bills and short tails. Adult European robins are approximately 14 cm (5.5 inches) long, weigh 14–21 grams (0.49–0.74 ounces), and have a wingspan of 20–22 cm (7.9–8.7 inches). Juvenile European robins are brown and white speckled and develop the orange breast as they mature.

Where does the European robin live?

The European robin ( Erithacus rubecula ) is a songbird with a bright orange face and breast. It lives throughout Europe, parts of western Asia, northern Africa, western Russia, and the Middle East. They can be found in forests, heathland, parks, and gardens. Most European robins are nonmigratory; however, those that breed in Scandinavia and Russia fly west to other parts of Europe during the winter.

What do European robins eat?

European robins are primarily insectivores , but their diet also includes worms, other invertebrates , seeds, grains, and berries. They prefer to feed on flat surfaces like the ground or bird tables, and they rarely use hanging feeders.

How do European robins build their nests?

The European robin, known for its orange face and breast, constructs cup-shaped nests from leaves and moss, often lining them with animal hair or feathers. These nests are typically built in concealed, low spots like garden undergrowth, hedges, tree cavities, and wall crannies; however, they have also been found in unusual places such as watering cans and boots. Migratory European robins establish summer and winter territories where they build their nests, starting as early as January if the weather is mild. The female incubates roughly four to six eggs for about 14 days while the male provides food for her. After hatching, both parents feed and protect the hatchlings until they are ready to leave the nest in 12–14 days.

European robin

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Images

A European robin (Erithacus rubecula) with an orange-red breast and face, brown back, and white belly stands on a branch with green moss.

European robin (Erithacus rubecula) in flight

A European robin's nest lined with dry grass and moss holds six pale, speckled eggs, photographed from above in West Sussex, England.

European robin, or robin redbreast (Erithacus rubecula).

Illustration showing three different robin species: at the top, a scarlet robin with a black head and red chest; in the middle, a European robin with an orange face and breast; at the bottom, an American robin with a dark head and orange-red belly, standing among autumn leaves.

Quick Facts

Also called:: robin redbreast

Related Topics:: robin

On the Web:: The CornellLab - All About Birds - European Robin (Oct. 16, 2026)

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European robin

bird

Also known as: Erithacus rubecula, robin redbreast

Written by

Laura Payne

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 16, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is a European robin?
The European robin (Erithacus rubecula) is a songbird known for its orange face and breast. They are found across Europe, parts of western Asia, northern Africa, western Russia, and the Middle East in forests, heathland, parks, and gardens. Most are nonmigratory, but those that breed in Scandinavia and Russia migrate west to other parts of Europe during the winter.

Both male and female European robins have brownish olive upperparts, bluish gray sides, a white underside, an orange face and breast, dark eyes, and brown legs and feet. Adult birds are about 14 cm (5.5 inches) long, weigh 14–21 grams (0.49–0.74 ounces), and have a wingspan of 20–22 cm (7.9–8.7 inches).

The European robin is classified as a species of least concern.
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1. European robin
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What does a European robin look like?
The European robin ( Erithacus rubecula) is a songbird recognized for its bright orange face and breast. Male and female European robins have identical coloring, with brownish olive upperparts, bluish-gray sides, and a white underside. They also have dark eyes and brown legs and feet.

These plump birds have small bills and short tails. Adult European robins are approximately 14 cm (5.5 inches) long, weigh 14–21 grams (0.49–0.74 ounces), and have a wingspan of 20–22 cm (7.9–8.7 inches). Juvenile European robins are brown and white speckled and develop the orange breast as they mature.
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1. European robin
2. robin
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Where does the European robin live?
The European robin ( Erithacus rubecula) is a songbird with a bright orange face and breast. It lives throughout Europe, parts of western Asia, northern Africa, western Russia, and the Middle East. They can be found in forests, heathland, parks, and gardens. Most European robins are nonmigratory; however, those that breed in Scandinavia and Russia fly west to other parts of Europe during the winter.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do European robins eat?
European robins are primarily insectivores, but their diet also includes worms, other invertebrates, seeds, grains, and berries. They prefer to feed on flat surfaces like the ground or bird tables, and they rarely use hanging feeders.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do European robins build their nests?
The European robin, known for its orange face and breast, constructs cup-shaped nests from leaves and moss, often lining them with animal hair or feathers. These nests are typically built in concealed, low spots like garden undergrowth, hedges, tree cavities, and wall crannies; however, they have also been found in unusual places such as watering cans and boots. Migratory European robins establish summer and winter territories where they build their nests, starting as early as January if the weather is mild. The female incubates roughly four to six eggs for about 14 days while the male provides food for her. After hatching, both parents feed and protect the hatchlings until they are ready to leave the nest in 12–14 days.
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Why is the European robin important in European culture and folklore?
The European robin, or robin redbreast, is a chat-thrush that lives throughout Europe, western Asia, and parts of North Africa. In Great Britain, the European robin has been a popular symbol of Christmas since Victorian times, when sending Christmas cards became a tradition.

During that time, Royal Mail letter carriers wore bright red uniforms while delivering mail, earning them the nickname "robins." The delivery of Christmas cards then became associated with the birds the letter carriers were named for, and images of European robins later appeared on Christmas cards, wrapping paper, holiday-themed clothing, and other festive items.
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European robin, (Erithacus rubecula), songbird species known for its bright orange face and breast. The European robin is classified as belonging to the Muscicapidae, a bird family that includes Old World flycatchers. The species is found throughout Europe and in parts of western Asia, northern Africa, western Russia, and the Middle East in forests, heathland, parks, and gardens. Most European robins are nonmigratory; however, those that breed in Scandinavia and Russia fly west to other parts of Europe during the winter.

Natural history

Male and female European robins are identical in color, with brownish olive upperparts, bluish gray sides, a white underside, an orange face and breast, dark eyes, and brown legs and feet. They are plump, with small bills and short tails. Adult birds have an average length of 14 cm (5.5 inches), an average weight of 14–21 grams (0.49–0.74 ounces), and an average wingspan of 20–22 cm (7.9–8.7 inches). European robins sing year-round (except during their midsummer molt), and while their vocalizations are highly variable, their sounds generally include a high-pitched warbling melody ending with several drawn out, descending notes. Their calls include a raspy “tic” and a high-pitched “tsiiip” or “tseee,” the latter two used as alarm calls. The European robin is known for being the first bird heard at dawn.

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Erithacus

Species of Least Concern

European robins are insectivores primarily, but they also dine on worms and other invertebrates as well as on seeds, grains, and berries. They are natural ground feeders, preferring to eat on flat surfaces, such as ground-feeding trays or bird tables, and are unlikely to visit hanging feeders. Migratory European robins have summer and winter territories, where they construct cup-shaped nests starting as early as January if conditions are mild enough. Their nests are made from leaves and moss and are often lined with animal hair or feathers. The nests are often built in low, tight spaces such as garden undergrowth, hedges, tree cavities, and wall crannies. European robins have also been known to build their nests in unusual places, such as watering cans, tea kettles, boots, and even clothes pockets.

European robins generally have two to three broods a year beginning in early spring. Each clutch consists of roughly four to six whitish eggs with pale reddish brown speckles or streaks, and the typical incubation period is about 14 days, during which time the female cares for the eggs while the male provides food for her. Once the eggs hatch, both parents work together to feed the hatchlings and keep them safe and warm until they fledge the nest, which occurs after 12–14 days. Juveniles are brown and white speckled and develop the orange breast as they mature. The average life span of a European robin is 13 months; however, if a juvenile survives its first year, it has a better chance of living much longer. The oldest known European robin lived for 19 years.

Cultural significance

Although the European robin and the American robin (Turdus migratorius) each have an orange-colored breast, they are not closely related to each other; The American robin is a thrush classified in the family Turdidae, and it is twice as large and nearly four times as heavy as the European robin. The American robin was given the name “robin” when English-speaking explorers and colonists began traveling the world and used the name for the American bird whose coloring reminded them of the bird they knew from Europe. When the bird was first named in Europe for its coloring, the name for the color orange was not in common usage, and thus it was referred to as the redbreast.

The species has been a popular symbol of Christmas in Great Britain since Victorian times (1820–1914), when the tradition of sending Christmas cards began. The Royal Mail letter carriers wore bright red uniforms as they delivered mail, earning them the nickname “robins,” and the delivery of Christmas cards became associated with the birds the letter carriers were named for. Images of European robins later appeared on Christmas cards, wrapping paper, holiday-themed clothing, and other festive items.

Conservation status

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the European robin is classified as a species of least concern. The European robin’s habitat is extremely large, and the species has a total global population of between 130 million to 200 million mature individuals. Although it is hunted for food along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and many birds perish annually from the effects of severe winter conditions, such sources of mortality have little impact on the bird’s total population.

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